Dylan Moran live

[paddy72]

I saw Dylan's show last night – it was kind of a weird gig.

He seemed pretty drunk., though it's possible he was amplifying that persona of course. The last interview I saw, he was talking about being off the booze, but he was very much back on it here. I found it almost impossible to tell if he was navigating a structured show and just concealing it very well, or if he was just making most of it up on the fly.

I understand that stream-of-consciousness thing is very much his style, but he didn't really seem to cover anything. I've watched a few of his past live shows on DVD, and you can at least tell that there is a set of themes in there. He seemed a bit depressed.

Having said all that, I still enjoyed it, as the way his mind works is just very funny to listen to.

Has anybody else seen him on this tour and, if so, was the experience/show similar?

[Twit 2]

Saw him in Truro over ten years ago and he was shit. I had seen him in London a bit before that and he was great so remember being quite disapppointed.

[Noodle Lizard]

He was terrible when I saw him at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2011 or 12. So bad I actually considered leaving during the intermission, only staying because I'd paid so much for the pleasure. Constantly checking his watch and making it very clear he couldn't be arsed. I think the material was fine enough (most of it ended up on a DVD, which was far better), but you couldn't really tell because he was delivering it like a bored schoolchild reading in front of the class. It might have been a really off day, but I've heard similar things from other people who've gone to see him.

I later saw him at Largo in LA (I think it was the Grumbling Mustard tour) and he was brilliant - one of the better stand-up sets I've seen, even if the material itself wasn't spectacular. Jeff Garlin and Eric Idle were in the audience that time, so I imagine that had something to do with it. Maybe he doesn't bother sometimes unless it's being filmed or there are people he knows/"important people" in the audience. That'd be a shame.

[neveragain]

I saw him in Newcastle at a time when I was quite into seeing stand-ups. Also came out feeling disappointed. The show seemed really short and not written well (or perhaps just performed half-arsedly).

[dead-ced-dead]

I noticed his hand kept shaking during the version of Dr. Cosmos that's on Amazon Prime. He also seemed to be looking at his feet a lot.

His delivery was funny though, so I dismissed it.

[Noodle Lizard]

I noticed his hand kept shaking during the version of Dr. Cosmos that's on Amazon Prime. He also seemed to be looking at his feet a lot.

His delivery was funny though, so I dismissed it.

He's always had that shaky hand thing (as far back as Monster, I think). He always seems to be gripping the microphone very tightly. I think it's just what he's like on stage. Adrenaline perhaps.

[Jack Shaftoe]

Saw him in Truro over ten years ago and he was shit. I had seen him in London a bit before that and he was great so remember being quite disapppointed.

Ha, I think I was at that one. He seemed really happy to be able to patronise Cornish people the way (presumably) he got patronised for being Irish. May have made him feel good but it didn't exactly endear him to the audience.

[dead-ced-dead]

He's always had that shaky hand thing (as far back as Monster, I think). He always seems to be gripping the microphone very tightly. I think it's just what he's like on stage. Adrenaline perhaps.

Ah, fair enough. I can't say I've seen many of his stand up gigs.

[up_the_hampipe]

I've heard lots of mixed things about people's live experiences with him. Some of them sound like bad nights, others sound like they just had a completely different idea of what his stand-up was going to be. Must be exhausting to tour, especially when you're older. I'm seeing him later this month, so fingers crossed he's in a good mood.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

You really are an odd lot sometimes. The shaky hand and slurring are part of Moran's stand‐up persona. It's an act.

If CAB had been around in the '70s, it would be full of posts fretting about the wellbeing of Tommy Cooper. "Saw him last night, and most of his magic tricks were shit. Is he okay?"

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

If CAB had been around in the '70s, it would be full of posts fretting about the wellbeing of Tommy Cooper. "Saw him last night, and most of his magic tricks were shit. Is he okay?"

You'd have been right to be concerned in one particular instance.

I saw Moran about five or so years ago and laughed myself silly. I don't think there were any famous people in the audience.

[AllisonSays]

You really are an odd lot sometimes. The shaky hand and slurring are part of Moran's stand‐up persona. It's an act.

If CAB had been around in the '70s, it would be full of posts fretting about the wellbeing of Tommy Cooper. "Saw him last night, and most of his magic tricks were shit. Is he okay?"

The shaky hand thing isn't part of his persona, surely, it's just actual nerves. He doesn't go so deep into the character of a drunk that he's both drunk and having WDs at the same time.

[Shaky]

The shaky hand thing isn't part of his persona, surely, it's just actual nerves. He doesn't go so deep into the character of a drunk that he's both drunk and having WDs at the same time.

Nahhhhh, it definitely is. Highly unlikely he'd do it at every show for most of his career otherwise. - he'd be Shane McGowanified by now. His whole persona is rambling, surreal yet occasionally incisive and philosophical "drunK". That tradition of Irish story tellers. I don't doubt he has his off nights but his schtick is pretty well known at this point (and that's not a criticism).

[paddy72]

...you couldn't really tell because he was delivering it like a bored schoolchild reading in front of the class.

Yes, this kind of thing. He definitely seemed drunk, bored and despondent. Interesting that a few posters have had similar experiences, in terms of whether he can be arsed or not.

You really are an odd lot sometimes. The shaky hand and slurring are part of Moran's stand‐up persona. It's an act.

Of course I'm aware that slurring is part of his act/persona, that wasn't really what I was asking.

[Shaky]

IGNORE!

[AllisonSays]

Nahhhhh, it definitely is. Highly unlikely he'd do it at every show for most of his career otherwise. - he'd be Shane McGowanified by now. His whole persona is rambling, surreal yet occasionally incisive and philosophical "drunK". That tradition of Irish story tellers. I don't doubt he has his off nights but his schtick is pretty well known at this point (and that's not a criticism).

Just to say, I totally agree with you about the schtick, but I don't see that his hands shaking have got anything to do with that - your hands don't shake when you're drunk (or pretending to be drunk for money) anyway, do they? He might be both doing a schtick and also genuinely nervous, which seems more plausible to me; he's a funny guy and a good writer but perhaps not the most confident performer.

[Memorex MP3]

He's a funny guy obviously but I was tired of his schtick after Monster tbh. I can see how it would've been a good shield for nerves early into his career but I find it massively limiting to the point that he could do a whole show of very good new material and I'd still feel like I'd seen it all before.

I mean, has he evolved it at all in 25 years? That must be tiresome as fuck for him as much as it is for me. There's surely ways he could maintain it whilst also fleshing out the character some more if he was arsed?

[gilbertharding]

If CAB had been around in the '70s, it would be full of posts fretting about the wellbeing of Tommy Cooper. "Saw him last night, and most of his magic tricks were shit. Is he okay?"

But Tommy Cooper *was* a bottle-of-Scotch-a-night alcoholic pretending not to be... the opposite of Dylan Moran (who knows...?)

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

The shaky hand thing isn't part of his persona, surely, it's just actual nerves. He doesn't go so deep into the character of a drunk that he's both drunk and having WDs at the same time.

Well maybe. I don't know. I've always assumed that his 'trembles' were a bit of stage shtick. But I could be wrong, I often am.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

But Tommy Cooper *was* a bottle-of-Scotch-a-night alcoholic pretending not to be... the opposite of Dylan Moran (who knows...?)

I know, but my point was that Moran appearing to be rather drunk and vague is just as much of an act as Cooper pretending to be an incompetent conjurer.

But yeah, you're right, comparing Moran (a sober, or at least slightly sober, man pretending to be drunk) to Cooper (an actual drunk man) doesn't really work. Les Dawson is a more apt comparison, perhaps: a gifted pianist who pretended to be shit for laughs. Much like Moran, we all got the gag, we knew that Dawson was in control of what he was doing. Whereas Cooper, particularly in his later years, blurred the line between being a faux-bemused clown and a performer who was genuinely quite pissed and fumbly.

[hazymayo]

Maybe it's post covid rust? Doubt he's the kind of guy that "hits the clubs" to try out material and get match fit

[DrGreggles]

This is probably the show he WiPped pre-COVID, so I assume it's pretty well honed.

[neveragain]

The difference for me between Dawson or Cooper and Moran is that it's easy to tell at first glance that Les and Tommy are clowning around whereas - and I maybe I was just being thick in my sleepy teens - with Dylan the presence of a character gimmick wasn't obvious at all.
Other than that, I think there were probably a few laudable lines but the whole thing seemed tossed off at the last moment.

[Ray Travez]

your hands don't shake when you're drunk (or pretending to be drunk for money) anyway, do they? 

If you're a long-term drinker, your hands shake to the point where, embarrassingly, you are almost unable to sign your own name. I think it might be due to b-vitamin deficiency, and it can be recovered from.

I don't know enough about Moran to speculate as to whether it's nerves, drink or stage-craft. If I had to put money down I'd go for the latter.

[Armed Traffic Warden]

My wife and I saw him live 10 - 15 years ago in Cheltenham. Even taking the persona defence in mind, it was a poor excuse for a night out.

The stand up itself was very average, few good jokes but certainly nothing more than 'meh'. However there was audible disappointment in the room when he said it was the interval after only 25-30 minutes. Standard break and then he did another 20 and and abruptly said "that's it - bye" (paraphrasing). Smatter of claps and and an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction from the crowd.

  I've never felt short changed by an entertainer before or since. I've seen some shit that I've enjoyed less but this went way beyond 'comedy persona'. He couldn't wait to leave. Pretty sure the tickets were £23.99 and he had no support act. Less than an hour onstage?

4/5 Stars

The Guardian

[SweetPomPom]

Seen him a couple of times, big difference in quality though. First was when he was touring 'What It Is' and he was on great form - really spiky and pointed.
Saw him again for 'Off The Hook' and it was a much quieter show. Dunno if he couldn't be bothered that night or if that was the intent but it was short, light on gags and pretty underwhelming.
Not bothered since.

[Autopsy Turvey]

Last time I saw him he claimed he wasn't drinking and most of the set seemed to be about his kids and the funny things they say, so that wasn't ideal. He still did the slurring vagueness thing, but from the perspective of a man who isn't getting much sleep. I always found his wobbly mike hand quite endearing.

[Thomas]

Saw Tommy Cooper fake a heart attack once, was hilare. Not seen him since.

[paddy72]

Hm, interesting. Seems like he might well be a 'catch him on a good or a bad night' kinda performer.

The Van Morrison of stand-up, if you will.

[DrGreggles]

Seeing him next week, always been good on the half dozen times I've seen him before. Some of the turns of phrase he uses are just beautiful.
I've always assumed the watch-checking and lethargic persona were part of the act, as if he's a pub philosopher who believes that performing is beneath him.